Harsh Kumar, Ajinkya Kawale

Stories by Harsh Kumar, Ajinkya Kawale

What fintechs must do to scale up presence of e

What fintechs must do to scale up presence of e

Rediff.com   24 Feb 2025

Non-banking entities such as fintech firms will have to tap into use cases beyond peer-to-peer (P2P) and peer-to-merchant (P2M) transactions to scale up the presence of the retail version of the central bank digital currency (CBDC), which is also known as the e, said industry players. These use cases will enable programmable transactions across domains, including the government's direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes, with subsidies restricted to specific purposes such as food coupons, hospital bills, fertilisers, pesticides, and cross-border remittances.

Why Has FATF Summoned Indian Gaming Firms?

Why Has FATF Summoned Indian Gaming Firms?

Rediff.com   20 Feb 2025

Dream11, Baazi Games, Zupee and WinZO among others are invited for the discussion with the anti-money laundering watchdog.

Irdai seeks IPO road map from 10 insurers

Irdai seeks IPO road map from 10 insurers

Rediff.com   19 Feb 2025

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has asked at least 10 general and life insurance companies to submit a detailed road map for their listing strategies by the end of this month, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter. "The regulator met four life and six general insurers last month and asked them to provide their listing strategies by the end of February," said one of the sources.

'PSB is exploring digital lending solutions'

'PSB is exploring digital lending solutions'

Rediff.com   5 Feb 2025

'We plan to launch new initiatives, including cash flow-based lending, to ensure borrowers are not burdened and can access funds more quickly.'

'We Expect Everyone Will Shift To New Tax Regime Now'

'We Expect Everyone Will Shift To New Tax Regime Now'

Rediff.com   2 Feb 2025

'Nearly 10 million people will benefit from the increase in the rebate limit for those earning up to Rs 12 lakh.' 'We expect all that money will come back into the economy in either savings, consumption, or investments.'

Meet Nirmalaji's Budget Team

Meet Nirmalaji's Budget Team

Rediff.com   30 Jan 2025

This will be the first full-year Budget of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government since it came to power for a third consecutive term in July last year.

RBI lens on 8 fintech companies in P2P lending space

RBI lens on 8 fintech companies in P2P lending space

Rediff.com   28 Jan 2025

Currently there are 26 licensed players in the P2P lending sector but only 10-11 are actively operating.

BharatPe targets IPO in 18-24 months, Ebitda profitability in FY25

BharatPe targets IPO in 18-24 months, Ebitda profitability in FY25

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2025

Fintech firm BharatPe is targeting an initial public offering (IPO) in the next 18-24 months with the company expecting profitability at an earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammotisation (Ebitda) level for FY25, chief executive officer (CEO) Nalin Negi said.

Crypto assets can negatively impact financial stability, says RBI report

Crypto assets can negatively impact financial stability, says RBI report

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2024

Widespread use of crypto assets, including stablecoins, can have a negative impact on the macroeconomic and financial stability of a country, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Monday. In its Financial Stability Report (FSR), the banking regulator highlighted that excessive use of crypto assets can reduce effectiveness of monetary policy, worsen fiscal risks, circumvent capital flow management measures, divert resources available for financing the real economy and threaten global financial stability.

Number of UPI apps grows in 2024, yet top two command maximum market share

Number of UPI apps grows in 2024, yet top two command maximum market share

Rediff.com   30 Dec 2024

In 2024, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) approved 20 third-party Unified Payments Interface (UPI) applications, a record since UPI's launch in 2016. This surge reflects growing interest from financial technology (fintech) companies, driven by the integration of credit products like UPI-linked credit cards and pre-approved credit lines.

Small ticket transactions drag avg retail payments value by 48% in 3 years

Small ticket transactions drag avg retail payments value by 48% in 3 years

Rediff.com   27 Dec 2024

The average value of retail digital payments dropped 48 per cent from Rs 8,769 in March 2021 to Rs 4,560 in March 2024 due to a growing preference to use digital modes of transactions for small value payments, according to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) report on the trend and progress of banking in India.

Crypto wrap 2024: Bitcoin, altcoins remain popular among Indian investors

Crypto wrap 2024: Bitcoin, altcoins remain popular among Indian investors

Rediff.com   27 Dec 2024

The majority of crypto investors in the country have invested in mainstream virtual digital assets (VDAs) such as Bitcoins, altcoins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Ethereum, followed by non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and stablecoins, a compilation of year-end reports of crypto majors CoinDCX and CoinSwitch revealed. The crypto exchange platform CoinDCX reported that 14.6 per cent of total investments on its platform were allocated to Bitcoin, while CoinSwitch saw the share of the VDA at 7 per cent.

Mobikwik leads IPO debut with 90% surge; Vishal, Sai Life gain around 40%

Mobikwik leads IPO debut with 90% surge; Vishal, Sai Life gain around 40%

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2024

All the three companies that made their stock market debut on Wednesday delivered huge day-one gains for investors. Shares of digital payment major One Mobikwik Systems surged 90 per cent, while that of fashion retailer Vishal Mega Mart and pharma firm Sai Life Sciences gained around 40 per cent each. These stellar debuts came despite the benchmark indices logging continuous declines since their initial public offerings (IPOs) closed on Friday.

NPCI Lists Digital Scam Warning Signs

NPCI Lists Digital Scam Warning Signs

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2024

UPI-related frauds have accounted for a cumulative loss of Rs 2,145 crore across 2.7 million reported incidents.

Bad loans in P2P more than doubles to Rs 1,163 cr in FY24

Bad loans in P2P more than doubles to Rs 1,163 cr in FY24

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2024

Bad loans in the peer-to-peer (P2P) lending industry more than doubled in financial year 2024 (FY24) to Rs 1,163 crore from Rs 472.1 crore in FY23, said a financial services company on Monday. Non-performing assets (NPAs), as such loans are officially called, were a modest Rs 14.7 crore at the end of FY19 when P2P lending was in its nascent stage, according to Capitalmind Financial Services that accessed data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through a right to information application.

Will CBI Train Bankers To Detect Fraud?

Will CBI Train Bankers To Detect Fraud?

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2024

The number of frauds in the banking sector increased over four times in the past five years to 36,075.

The ambitious plans of Flipkart-backed super.money

The ambitious plans of Flipkart-backed super.money

Rediff.com   17 Dec 2024

Flipkart-backed super.money is on an expansion spree and plans to expand its range of offerings in credit and wealth management after launching its operations in July this year. The Bengaluru-based fintech company is on track to roll out credit products such as credit on Unified Payments Interface (UPI), unsecured credit cards, and personal loans within the first half of the next calendar year (2025).

New RBI Guv promises to do 'what is best for the economy'

New RBI Guv promises to do 'what is best for the economy'

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2024

A day after his appointment as the 26th governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), outgoing Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra on Tuesday said one must understand the economic landscape and do what was best for the economy. "Let me first go, join, understand the turf ... Here it is a different role," Malhotra said, speaking to reporters in front of North Block.

What Will RBI Governor's Agenda Be?

What Will RBI Governor's Agenda Be?

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2024

As RBI governor, Sanjay Malhotra will have to give the highest priority to the interest of the economy while deciding on the growth-inflation trade off at Mint Street.

Bitcoin at $100,000: Milestone likely to boost Indian investors' rush

Bitcoin at $100,000: Milestone likely to boost Indian investors' rush

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2024

The recent Bitcoin rally, which saw the cryptocurrency surge past the $100,000 mark on Thursday, is drawing Indian investors in droves. Cryptocurrency platforms in India are experiencing a significant uptick in activity and user sign-ups, driven by the optimism surrounding "crypto-friendly" Donald Trump's US presidential election victory.